Into the adventure… for and with a DKW 1000

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An apparently simple purchase of a classic DKW 1000 in southern Germany turned into an unexpected adventure. What began as a planned train pickup ended, for Joop Terpstra, in a 900-kilometre night drive with a temperamental two-stroke engine as his companion. He tells the story…

In September last year, I discovered a 1958 DKW 1000 online in a small village near Munich, called Egling. The seller explained over the phone that he had bought the car during the pandemic, in 2020, for his mother. She had once raced a similar car and participated in various rallies in the late 1950s and early 1960s. Sadly, she passed away in early 2025, and since he wasn’t particularly skilled with classic cars himself, he decided to put the vehicle up for sale.

Upon arriving in the village with my modern car, I immediately noticed the immaculate restored condition of this DKW. I bought it on the spot, laid my cash offer on the table, and indicated that I would return the following weekend by ICE train.

And so it happened that the following Saturday I sped through Germany at 280 km/h, arriving around 3:00 PM. The seller assumed I would stay overnight in a hotel, but I decided instead to refuel the car at 5:00 PM and immediately drive back to the Netherlands through the night. I could see the doubt on his face, but I pressed on.

Unfortunately, after about half an hour of driving, the water-cooled two-stroke engine began to sputter and even stalled. After draining the float chamber of the Solex 40 ICB carburettor, dirt and fuel came out. After another attempt, the car started again. It wouldn’t idle, but smelling strongly of petrol, I got back behind the wheel. I realised this adventure could well end prematurely on a tow truck.

But driving carefully, at a speed of 90 to 100 km/h, the car gradually improved. Near Stuttgart, I refuelled again and discovered that the engine was idling properly once more. Half a litre of two-stroke oil into the tank and twenty litres of ‘98’ petrol, and I was ready to continue.

Near Karlsruhe, I headed towards the A61 and then on to Venlo. By now, the engine was singing, and at half past two in the morning I crossed the border at Venlo. At 4:00 AM, I arrived at my garage in Utrecht. 900 kilometres in 11 hours, including three fuel stops—not bad at all, I thought. I drove the car into the garage and went home, proud and satisfied to have undertaken this adventure.

A great start to a new adventure with a wonderful acquisition. The DKW has since been serviced—entirely by my own hands, of course—and now carries a Dutch registration. Even after more than 40 years of enjoying this hobby, it remains immensely rewarding, and I hope to continue for many years to come.

Text and photos by Joop Terpstra

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